Lesson Learned from the Experiences of Small Schools in Thailand

Abstract

This research conducted a quantitative survey on small school stakeholders’ views on a controversial plan to close/merge small schools and the policy recommendations for small school's improvements from 146 school principals, 494 teachers, 1,365 parents and 33 local organization administrators. The results revealed various opinions on the controversial plan depend on their benefits or interests. The parents and local organization administrators reflected that small schools could provide educational opportunity for children to learn near home and small schools develop good habit and well personality of the children, limiting in budget and small number of teachers. The lesson learned from the experiences of 6 substantial small schools in the west- central Thailand through a lesson distilled process; school and classroom observation, individual interviews, and dialog. It demonstrated patterns of academic, human resource and budget management within the small schools, and factors affecting the efficiency and limitation in improving quality of small schools by recognition of views and needs of students and their families, potentials of small schools, support from the local organization administrators and educational ministry's policy.